Cry for help from Kamukunji’s Kitui Village as family perishes in tragic fire

Metrine Muhonje is trapped in a nightmare that she finds hard to wake up from. The devastating reality that her entire family has been wiped out still feels unreal.

On Tuesday night, November 19, 2024, around 7 pm, she stepped out of her house in Kitui Village, Kamukunji Constituency in Nairobi, to pick up the laundry, thinking it was just another ordinary evening.

Her husband and three children were peacefully sleeping inside, unaware of the horror about to unfold.

Residents try to salvage any valuables including metals, after a fire ravaged a section of Kitui Village in Kamukunji, Nairobi on Tuesday night. (Ahmed Shafat)

But when Muhonje returned, the peaceful world she knew all along had vanished. Flames had consumed her house, and the air was thick with smoke.

"When I came back, the entire area was choked with smoke. I tried to scream, to force my way into the house, but the smoke was too thick. It overwhelmed me, and I lost consciousness," Muhonje told The Eastleigh Voice, her voice breaking

When she finally came to, the world she once knew was gone. Her home and her family had been reduced to ashes. Her husband's body was found still holding their children in his arms, his final act a desperate attempt to shield them from the flames.

"It's so painful... I've lost my husband, my six-year-old, my four-year-old, and my one-year-old. The hurt is unbearable. I can't even begin to explain what this feels like," Muhonje whispered amid tears.

Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan meets some of the victims of Kitui Village fire. (Ahmed Shafat)

Left hollow

In that one moment, everything she loved was taken from her, and she's now left hollow, surrounded by silence, reminiscing a life that was once full of joy but now only echoes with heartbreak.

Kitui Village, once a vibrant community where homes stood close together, filled with the sounds of everyday life, now lies in desolation.

The fire that broke out around 7 pm on Tuesday tore through the village with ruthless speed, swallowing everything in its path.

Residents try to salvage any valuables including metals, after a fire ravaged a section of Kitui Village in Kamukunji, Nairobi on Tuesday night. (Ahmed Shafat)

The crackling flames consumed over 50 homes, leaving only charred wood and twisted metal. Where there were once small, bustling homes packed tightly together, there is now an expanse of blackened earth and ash, a stark reminder of the disaster that unfolded.

The loss is staggering. Six people—four children and two adults—lost their lives in the inferno, their families now broken and their futures uncertain. The once tight-knit community, home to an estimated 150 people, is now scattered, their homes gone, and their hearts heavy with grief.

Hanna Mogole, a resident of Kitui village, stands at the place that was once her home, her eyes fixed on the remnants of her belongings — shoes and clothes now reduced to ash.

With nothing left but the clothes on her back, she is engulfed in the overwhelming loss.

"We couldn't salvage anything. We've lost friends and family... Mama Asha died holding her one-and-a-half-month-old baby, and Baba Yusuf perished with two of his daughters in his arms. It was heartbreaking to witness," she says.

Mogole's words hang heavy as she reflects on the unimaginable loss.

"We've lost everything — documents, memories, all the things we once called our own. The fire took it all, and now we have nothing."

Many are unable to hold back their tears, overwhelmed with deep sorrow. (Ahmed Shafat)

Nzuki Kilonzo, the chairperson of Kitui village, shared the heartbreaking details of the tragic fire that devastated the community.

He explained that firefighters arrived late due to severe traffic congestion, which slowed their response.

Unable to salvage anything

"We still don't know what caused the fire. Over 50 houses have been reduced to ash, and the villagers were unable to salvage anything from the blaze," he said, his voice filled with sorrow.

Kilonzo stressed the urgent need for assistance, particularly in the form of bedding, food, and other essential supplies.

"Many people are left without a place to sleep, and the situation is dire. We've never seen anything like this before — a fire that claimed the lives of seven people, including four children. It's something no one in this village has ever witnessed."

"One mother died while holding her baby in her arms, trying to protect her child from the flames. The grief is unimaginable, and the community is struggling to cope with the scale of the disaster."

Some of the resident's belongings that were burnt. (Ahmed Shafat)

As the villagers pull themselves together amidst the devastation, some desperately try to salvage whatever little they can — scraps of metal, bits of iron sheets, anything that might help rebuild their lives. The air is thick with the weight of loss, and there's a sense of urgency as they search through the ruins.

In the midst of all this, the remains of parts of a young baby are discovered, buried beneath the wreckage. Many are unable to hold back their tears, overwhelmed with deep sorrow. As the police carefully collect the remains discovered in the rubble, the air is thick with sorrow and disbelief. Each piece found is a grim reminder of the lives lost in the fire.

Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan, while condoling the bereaved families, described the fire as the deadliest disaster to strike the area since he became the constituency’s Member of Parliament.

Yusuf expressed his deep sorrow and vowed to find solutions for those who lost both loved ones and their homes.

"This is the most devastating tragedy we've experienced in Kamukunji since I became an MP. It's an immense loss," said the MP.